I remember this one incident with my mom. I was a junior in high school. My dance teacher had just announced that class was over for the day. I took a deep breath. I had been there all day and was thrilled to finally go home. I darted out of the room before anyone could catch up with me. I eagerly ripped off my dance shoes and slid my sneakers back on. I quickly packed my bag before my teammates came rushing out to grab their things. It was a long day, and we were all waiting to go home. Relief poured over me when I saw my mom’s car. The thought of walking home made me even more exhausted. I threw myself in the front passenger seat, excited to finally go home and rest. As I thought about what to do with my free time, my mom took out her phone to send an email to a client she was working with. But just as she was about to turn left, another car dashed past us like a strong hurricane wind. I heard my mom gasp and felt the sharp resistance of the brakes. The car was gone in a split second. My mom and I sat there frozen. If we had moved any further, we would have collided with the speeding driver.
I still have many problems with this situation. Of course I do not think it was very wise of my mom to be checking her phone, especially while she was about to turn. But this doesn’t rule out the speeding driver from any fault. The driver was clearly going over the speed limit. He didn’t even stop to see that my mom was about to turn into his lane. There were also crosswalks down the road where he was going. If he maintained his speed, the driver could have hit a pedestrian. With all the details in mind, I firmly believe that this close call collision could have been prevented by my mom and the speeding driver if they had been educated on one thing: always assume that other drivers are not going to exercise caution.
Drivers can practice caution while on the road by remembering that they are in control of whether or not they get into an accident. A driver can choose to stay home during harsh weather conditions and avoid getting hurt. They can also choose not to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. Drivers can also choose to put away their electronic devices, and drive a little bit below the speed limit. But the most important thing a driver should do is assume that other drivers are not going to be cautious on the road. If drivers keep this principle in mind, it will help them stay alert. Thus reducing the amount of road accidents. If my mom practiced this technique, she would have looked both ways instead of drawing attention to her phone. As for the speeding driver, he would have driven just a little below the speed limit. Had they both been educated on this principle, they both could have avoided almost colliding.
Driver education is a very powerful tool when it comes to avoiding accidents. Once a driver starts their engines, they are in control of what happens on the road. However if they are not properly educated on the dangers, they are bound to get into an accident themselves. Proper driver education is essential to teaching drivers about different road accidents and how to avoid them. This can include teaching people in drivers education courses, or raising more awareness about road accidents in the media. When news stations report on car accidents, the stories are often sensationalized in order to gain more viewers. These reports do not contribute to helping drivers be responsible on the road. In order to help people stay safe on the road, news stations should examine the causes and effects of the accident and teach people how to avoid a similar situation. This method of reporting could qualify as positive driver education and could influence people to be safe on the road.
Now that I have my driver’s license, I am able to go wherever I want, whenever I want. While my parents are busy at work, I decide to drive myself to the mall. As I take a seat in front of my steering wheel, the loud pings from my phone echo from my purse. My best friend is texting me. She is sending me videos on TikTok and wants to know what I think of them. As I start my engine, I remember that incident with my mom when she came to pick me up from dance class. Just then, I knew what to do. I politely told my best friend that I had to hit the road, but I would watch all of the videos she sent me once I got the chance. The sunlight shined through the windows as I backed out of the driveway. Once I got on the road I maintained a speed just below the speed limit. I reached the crosswalk and made sure to look both ways before I turned right. When I looked over, a car came dashing down the street. The driver was clearly over the speed limit. I watched the car, like a hawk, as it zoomed past me. As the driver sped down the road, I made sure to get a license plate.